Why The YFQ-44A Is A Glimpse Of How The F-47 Will Fight

Boeing has begun work on the F-47 as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance effort, awarded in 2025 for the nation’s first sixth-generation stealth fighter. But the article argues the F-47’s combat role will rely heavily on the earlier fielding of collaborative combat aircraft, or Loyal Wingman drones, already in low-rate production. It names two approved platforms: General Atomics’ FQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril Industries’ FQ-44A Fury, with the Air Force aiming for about 1,000 CCAs. That contrasts with a projected buy of roughly 185 to 200 F-47s at an estimated $300 million per unit, making attritable drones essential to expand mission coverage in major conflicts.